New tree of life for modern birds
The largest and most complete study of bird evolution has been launched after an international team of scientists revisited the timing of evolutionary changes. In a […]
Palaeontology
Ancient air-breathing fish comes to the surface
Alice Spring’s Finke River (Larapinta), often cited as one of the oldest rivers in the world, once hosted waters teeming with bizarre animals – including a […]
Why the long face? Now we know
Horses have developed long faces simply ‘because they can,’ a team of evolutionary biologists say. In a major review of how mammalian heads evolve, scientists from […]
Big birds of prey rise again
Australia’s only vulture, and a fearsome extinct eagle, are among the earliest recorded birds of prey from the Pleistocene period more than 50,000 years ago – […]
Lessons from our ancient past
The extinction of species as diverse as flesh-eating kangaroos, tree-climbing crocodiles and gigantic venomous lizards are just a few examples of the extraordinary prehistoric history of […]
Out on a limb – koala fossil fills 30m year gap
Koalas are endangered in much of Australia now but in in the past there were multiple species living across the continent. The discovery of an ancient […]
Big marsupial roamed long distances
One of Australia’s first long-distance walkers has been described after Flinders University palaeontologists used advanced 3D scans and other technology to take a new look at […]
Weird animals uncovered after 25m years
The discovery of an early wombat relative with a powerful bite and a possum with bizarre nut-cracker teeth helps fill in a lost part of a […]
Night Parrot’s ‘wonky’ head and big ears
Special cranial adaptations, including an asymmetrical ‘wonky’ skull and enlarged ears, may give the critically endangered ground-dwelling Night Parrot the edge it needs to make its […]